What to pack (and what not to!!) when backpacking

Following list compiled based on my 3 months budgeted trip to the North East (India) (See earlier posts)

The usual disclaimer...:-) :

This list is not exhaustive and doesn’t include the glaring essentials (like your personal medical kit etc.). Although most of the items are required irrelevant to which country one is backpacking in, however I have listed them in the Indian context and I have given references to local (Indian) products when stating examples.



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NOTE – Some of the items were relevant for the rain drenched North East sector as I was backpacking this sector at the height of the monsoon seasons. I have marked them as NE India Essential.

      1)      Travel Guide – If it is a Lonely planet or Rough guide, you need to just rip off the relevant section or if you are the “I’m-not-so-comfortable-ripping books-apart-type” you could make copies of the required section, instead of lugging the entire book along.

 
       2)      Umbrella (NE India Essential) – The meter long rigid type, large enough to protect you and your backpack/daypack. This also doubles up as a walking stick. This may seem a bit of a bulky item to tag along, however I found it quite useful. NO need to buy it from your departure destination. You can pick one up at your first stop in any major town. (I picked mine for INR 160/- at a street shop in Darjeeling and believe it or not it is still going strong, despite the backpacker treatment meted out to it in no small measure!!)

          3)      Soap strips  – These are basically a pack of ten paper strips layered with soap which you can take to a basin, scrub your hands under the water with it and discard the paper later on. Very handy during train journeys or whilst having meals during bus journeys. Available at medical shops or also sold by some of the salesmen who do their rounds in the train compartments at some of the major rail heads. Costs Rs.10/- for three packets (10 strips in each). Alternatively, you can  also carry a small hand sanitizer bottle (Dettol, Lifebuoy etc.), although I was carrying both the items at all times.

 


      4)      Flashlight – Guess I don’t need to elaborate on the importance of this item. Alternately you could also carry some candles. However I found it more practical and economic to pick a packet of candles at the destination rather that lugging them around with fear of breaking them or worse still ruining them during any major downpour.

 

      5)      Head Lamp – Yes. You will need this even though you have your flashlight for two reasons at least. Firstly, if you are an avid reader, it really helps to have this on you as you can read unobtrusively in public places, dorms or public transport, without disturbing anybody. Secondly, I found it most useful when packing in the wee hours of the morning with no electricity.

      6)      Antifungal Powder for feet – You will be walking for long distances with your backpack. You will get caught in heavy downpours, walk through muddy puddles, realize that all your socks are wet , have your shoes on for major portions of the day. Believe me, you will need this to prevent any fungal infection and to make your presence less felt (or should I say ‘smelt’) when in the company of others. Try Candid B (Clotrimazole) or equivalent.

    

      7)      Eatables (NE India essential) – Nothing fancy. A few packets of biscuits and some cheese cubes. Enough to last for a day at least. Why??Well you may find yourself stuck on the road due to landslides (As it happened to me in Sikkim), the bus may breakdown in the middle of nowhere, to name a few possibilities. Carrying a bottle of water is an unstated essential.

      8)      A small padlock (numeric type preferably) – Very handy when staying is low budget hotels, railway station resting rooms or dorms/hostels. I found numeric type easier to use as more often than not, your hands will be holding some bags and it is more practical to just insert the lock and twist the number dials single handed. And of course you don’t have to worry about misplacing the key.

      9)      Bungee Cord (Expandable luggage cord) – Use it for compressing your backpack, for securing bags on top of the sumos or mini vans and use it as a clothesline for drying off your clothes in the hotel rooms.

     10)   Scotch Tape – For securing open bottles with liquid that may leak out, resealing opened food packets.

     11)   Gamcha (Quick drying towel) – Occupies less space, dries very quickly and is much lighter. You can even use it as a bandana or a neck scarf

     12)   Quick drying tee shirts and track pants 

     13)   Poncho (Rain coat) – Large enough to cover you, your backpack and your daypack.

     14)   One meter long transparent tarpaulin sheet (NE India essential) – Extremely handy as additional cover during heavy downpours, to use as base for laying down bags on messy, wet floors.

     15)   Bathroom slippers – NO need to tag them along for long distance journeys. You can pick a pair at the destination and can them leave it behind. It does not cost over 50-100 INR.

     16)   Zip lock pouches - Use smaller bags to organize electronic cords, underwear, socks or toiletries. travel mementos, receipts or photographs.

     17)   Camphor Balls (Air freshener blocks) (ODONIL) – Very handy to keep your clothes, sock and underwear odor free (especially if in damp humid climatic conditions). Toss some in bottom of bag and later on transfer to your cupboard whilst in the hotel room. (Tip- To preserve the packet for a longer time, do not empty the contents. Instead make a few holes in the packet. The fragrance release is more controlled that way).....(This was my dear friend, Ashwini's idea).

     18)   Sun Screen Lotion – If you are travelling high altitude areas (as was the case when I visited Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Darjeeling), it is advisable to use sunscreen to protect your skin against UV radiation.

     19)   Multi point extension plug – A little bulky, but very important when you find yourself in ahotel room with only one point and you need to charge your cellphone, your ipod and what have you.

     20)   Rubberbands – To keep together receipts, document copies and can also be used to secure your dirty laundry in separate plastic bag.

      21)   Sturdy ankle length trekking shoes – If your travel plans include trekking for long distances than you do not want to scrounge on these. I picked mine up in Mumbai at a specialized trekking gear outlet for INR 3,100/- (USD 70).The price may seem a bit high, but these shoes are perfect for long distance trekking/travelling. They are lightweight (very important, considering you will be lugging them around from time to time), semi- water-proof-breathe-easy (important to keep your feet dry whilst walking during incessant rain) and extremely rugged.

      22)   Couple of passport sized photographs, spare copies of all your travel documents and Identification papers (for Indians as well). Same are required when applying for ILP (Inner line permits or also requested by some hotels when checking in.

Things that you CAN afford to leave behind :

And then there are those things that you think you may need…..but could well do without!! 

      1)      Digital SLR camera and additional lens. Unless you are an avid photographer, you will happier not lugging this along with you all the time. The downsides are far too much, especially when you are on an extended budgeted trip and you intend to do a lot of trekking. Also you have to carry it with you in your daypack most of the time to prevent theft, protect it from rain and rough handling and you might hesitate to flash this equipment in some of the lesser tourist friendly locations. A pocket sized digital camera works just fine to capture those memorable moments, occupies less space and  is far easier to handle whilst on the road.

      2)      Tripod – Again, carry this if only you specifically intend to use it very often.

      3)      Body Lotion/Body wash – A small cake of soap is all you need when you hit the shower.

      4)      Denims – Too heavy when wet (and even when not!!) and takes forever  to dry. Quick dry track pants and trousers are the way to go.

     5)      Those expensive Ray-Bans – Very fragile in the best of terrains and we are talking about long term backpacking and rugged trekking. Buy one of those less expensive (I said less inexpensive…not cheap!!) plastic glares (Fast track or similar).